virtually do both; for they prohibit their slaves acquiring thatknowledge of letters which would enable them to read the laws; and if,by stealth, they get it in spite of them, they prohibit them books andpapers, and flog them if they are caught at them. Further--Caligulamerely hung his laws so high that they could not be _read_--ourslaveholders have hung theirs so high above the slave that they cannotbe _seen_--they are utterly out of sight, and he finds out that theyare there only by the falling of the penalties on his head.[35] Thusthe "public opinion" of slave states protects the defenceless slave byarming a host of legal penalties and setting them in ambush at everythicket along his path, to spring upon him unawares.

[Footnote 35: The following extract from the Alexandria (D.C.) Gazetteis all illustration. "CRIMINALS CONDEMNED.--On Monday last the Courtof the borough of Norfolk, Va. sat on the trial of four negro boysarraigned for burglary. The first indictment charged them withbreaking into the hardware store of Mr. E.P. Tabb, upon which two ofthem were found guilty by the Court, and condemned to suffer thepenalty of the law, which, in the case of a slave, is death. Thesecond Friday in April is appointed for the execution of their awfulsentence. _Their ages do not exceed sixteen_. The first, a fine activeboy, belongs to a widow lady in Alexandria; the latter, a houseservant, is owned by a gentleman in the borough. The value of one wasfixed at $1000, and the other at $800; which sums are to bere-imbursed to their respective owners out of the state treasury." Inall probability these poor boys, who are to be hung for stealing,never dreamed that death was the legal penalty of the crime.

Here is another, from the "New Orleans Bee" of ---- 14, 1837--"Theslave who STRUCK some citizens in Canal street, some weeks since, hasbeen tried and found guilty, and is sentenced to be HUNG on the 24th."]

Stroud, in his Sketch of the Laws of Slavery, page 100, thus commentson this monstrous barbarity.

"The hardened convict moves their sympathy, and is to be taught thelaws before he is expected to obey them;[36] yet the guiltless slaveis subjected to an extensive system of cruel enactments, of no part ofwhich, probably, has he ever heard."

[Footnote 36: "It shall be the duty of the keeper [of the penitentiary]on the receipt of each prisoner, to _read_ to him or her such parts ofthe penal laws of this state as impose penalties for escape, and tomake all the prisoners in the penitentiary acquainted with the same.It shall also be his duty, on the discharge of such prisoner, to readto him or her such parts of the laws as impose additional punishmentsfor the repetition of offences."--_Rule 12th_, for the internalgovernment of the Penitentiary of Georgia. Sec. 26 of the PenitentiaryAct of 1816.--Prince's Digest, 386.]

Having already drawn so largely on the reader's patience, inillustrating southern 'public opinion' by the slave laws, instead ofadditional illustrations of the same point from another class of thoselaws, as was our design, we will group together a few particulars,which the reader can take in at a glance, showing that the "publicopinion" of slaveholders towards their slaves, which exists at thesouth, in the form of law, tramples on all those fundamentalprinciples of right, justice, and equity, which are recognized assacred by all civilized nations, and receive the homage even ofbarbarians.

1. One of these principles is, that the _benefits_ of law to thesubject should overbalance its burdens--its protection more thancompensate for its restraints and exactions--and its blessingsaltogether outweigh its inconveniences and evils--the former beingnumerous, positive, and permanent, the latter few, negative, andincidental. Totally the reverse of all this is true in the case of theslave. Law is to him all exaction and no protection: instead oflightening his _natural_ burdens, it crushes him under a multitude ofartificial ones; instead of a friend to succor him, it is hisdeadliest foe, transfixing him at every step from the cradle to thegrave. Law has been beautifully defined to be "benevolence acting byrule;" to the American slave it is malevolence torturing by system. Itis an old truth, that _responsibility_ increases with _capacity_; butthose same laws which make the slave a "_chattel_," require of him_more_ than of _men_. The same law which makes him a _thing_ incapableof obligation, loads him with obligations superhuman--while sinkinghim below the level of a brute in dispensing its _benefits_, he laysupon him burdens which would break down an angel.

2. _Innocence is entitled to the protection of law._ Slaveholders makeinnocence free plunder; this is their daily employment; their lawsassail it, make it their victim, inflict upon it all, and, in somerespects, more than all the penalties of the greatest guilt. To otherinnocent persons, law is a blessing, to the slave it is a curse, onlya curse and that continually.

3. _Deprivation of liberty is one of the highest punishments ofcrime_; and in proportion to its justice when inflicted on the guilty,is its injustice when inflicted on the innocent; this terrible penaltyis inflicted on two million seven hundred thousand, innocent personsin the Southern states.

4. _Self-preservation and self-defence_, are universally regarded asthe most sacred of human rights, yet the laws of slave states punishthe slave with _death_ for exercising these rights in that way, whichin others is pronounced worthy of the highest praise.

5. _The safeguards of law are most needed where natural safe-guardsare weakest._ Every principle of justice and equity requires, that,those who are totally unprotected by birth, station, wealth, friends,influence, and popular favor, and especially those who are theinnocent objects of public contempt and prejudice, should be morevigilantly protected by law, than those who are so fortified bydefence, that they have far less need of _legal_ protection; yet thepoor slave who is fortified by _none_ of these _personal_ bulwarks, isdenied the protection of law, while the master, surrounded by themall, is panoplied in the mail of legal protection, even to the hair ofhis head; yea, his very shoe-tie and coat-button are legal protegees.

6. The grand object of law is to _protect men's natural rights_, butinstead of protecting the natural rights of the slaves, it givesslaveholders license to wrest them from the weak by violence, protectsthem in holding their plunder, and _kills_ the rightful owner if heattempt to recover it.

This is the _protection_ thrown around the rights of American slavesby the 'public opinion,' of slaveholders; these the restraints thathold back their masters, overseers, and drivers, from inflictinginjuries upon them!

In a Republican government, _law_ is the pulse of its _heart_--as theheart beats the pulse beats, except that it often beats _weaker_ thanthe heart, never stronger--or to drop the figure, laws are never_worse_ than those who make them, very often better. If human historyproves anything, cruelty of practice will always go beyond cruelty oflaw.

Law-making is a formal, deliberate act, performed by persons of matureage, embodying the intelligence, wisdom, justice and humanity, of thecommunity; performed, too, at leisure, after full opportunity had fora comprehensive survey of all the relations to be affected, aftercareful investigation and protracted discussion. Consequently lawsmust, in the main, be a true index of the permanent feelings, thesettled _frame of mind_, cherished by the community upon thosesubjects, and towards those persons and classes whose condition thelaws are designed to establish. If the laws are in a high degree crueland inhuman, towards any class of persons, it proves that the feelingshabitually exercised towards that class of persons, by those who makeand perpetuate those laws, are at least _equally_ cruel and inhuman.We say _at least equally_ so; for if the _habitual_ state of feelingtowards that class be unmerciful, it must be unspeakably cruel,relentless and malignant when _provoked_; if its _ordinary_ action isinhuman, its contortions and spasms must be tragedies; if the wavesrun high when there has been no wind, where will they not break whenthe tempest heaves them!

Further, when cruelty is the _spirit_ of the law towards a proscribedclass, when it _legalizes great outrages_ upon them, it connives at,and abets _greater_ outrages, and is virtually an accomplice of allwho perpetrate them. Hence, in such cases, though the _degree_ of theoutrage is illegal, the perpetrator will rarely be convicted, and,even if convicted, will be almost sure to escape punishment. This isnot _theory_ but _history_. Every judge and lawyer in the slave states_knows_, that the legal conviction and _punishment_ of masters andmistresses, for illegal outrages upon their slaves, is an event whichhas rarely, if ever, occurred in the slave states; they know, also,that although _hundreds_ of slaves have been _murdered_ by theirmasters and mistresses in the slave states, within the lasttwenty-five years, and though the fact of their having committed thosemurders has been established beyond a _doubt_ in the minds of thesurrounding community, yet that the murderers have not, in a singleinstance, suffered the penalty of the law.

Finally, since slaveholders have deliberately legalized theperpetration of the most cold-blooded atrocities upon their slaves,and do pertinaciously refuse to make these atrocities _illegal_, andto punish those who perpetrate them, they stand convicted before theworld, upon their own testimony, of the most barbarous, brutal, andhabitual inhumanity. If this be slander and falsehood, their own lipshave uttered it, their own fingers have written it, their own actshave proclaimed it; and however it may be with their _morality_, theyhave too much human nature to perjure themselves for the sake ofpublishing their own infamy.

Having dwelt at such length on the legal code of the slave states,that unerring index of the public opinion of slaveholders towardstheir slaves; and having shown that it does not protect the slavesfrom cruelty, and that even in the few instances in which the letterof the law, if _executed_, would afford some protection, it isvirtually nullified by the connivance of courts and juries, or bypopular clamor; we might safely rest the case here, assured that everyhonest reader would spurn the absurd falsehood, that the 'publicopinion' of the slave states protects the slaves and restrains themaster. But, as the assertion is made so often by slaveholders, andwith so much confidence, notwithstanding its absurdity is fullyrevealed by their own legal code, we propose to show its falsehood byapplying other tests.

We lay it down as a truth that can be made no plainer by reasoning,that the same 'public opinion,' which restrains men from _committing_outrages, will restrain them from _publishing_ such outrages, if theydo commit them;--in other words, if a man is restrained from certainacts through fear of losing his character, should they become known,he will not voluntarily destroy his character by _making them known_,should he be guilty of them. Let us look at this. It is assumed byslaveholders, that 'public opinion' at the south so frowns on crueltyto the slaves, that _fear of disgrace_ would restrain from theinfliction of it, were there no other consideration.

Now, that this is sheer fiction is shown by the fact, that thenewspapers in the slaveholding states, teem with advertisements forrunaway slaves, in which the masters and _mistresses_ describe theirmen and women, as having been 'branded with a hot iron,' on their'cheeks,' 'jaws,' 'breasts,' 'arms,' 'legs,' and 'thighs;' also as'scarred,' 'very much scarred,' 'cut up,' 'marked,' &c. 'with thewhip,' also with 'iron collars on,' 'chains,' 'bars of iron,''fetters,' 'bells,' 'horns,' 'shackles,' &c. They, also, describe themas having been wounded by 'buck-shot,' 'rifle-balls,' &c. fired atthem by their 'owners,' and others when in pursuit; also, as having'notches,' cut in their ears, the tops or bottoms of their ears 'cutoff,' or 'slit,' or 'one ear cut off' or 'both ears cut off' &c. &c.The masters and mistresses who thus advertise their runaway slaves,coolly sign their names to their advertisements, giving the street andnumber of their residences, if in cities, their post office address,&c. if in the country; thus making public proclamation as widely aspossible that _they_ 'brand,' 'scar,' 'gash,' 'cut up,' &c. the fleshof their slaves; load them with irons, cut off their ears, &c.; theyspeak of these things with the utmost _sang froid_, not seeming tothink it possible, that any one will esteem them at all the lessbecause of these outrages upon their slaves; further, theseadvertisements swarm in many of the largest and most widely circulatedpolitical and commercial papers that are published in the slavestates. The editors of those papers constitute the main body of theliterati of the slave states; they move in the highest circle ofsociety, are among the 'popular' men in the community, and _as aclass_, are more influential than any other; yet these editors publishthese advertisements with iron indifference. So far from proclaimingto such felons, homicides, and murderers, that they will not be theirblood-hounds, to hunt down the innocent and mutilated victims who haveescaped from their torture, they freely furnish them with everyfacility, become their accomplices and share their spoils; and insteadof outraging 'public opinion,' by doing it, they are the men after itsown heart, its organs, its representatives, its _self_.

To show that the 'public opinion' of the slave states, towards theslaves, is absolutely _diabolical_, we will insert a few, out of amultitude, of similar advertisements from a variety of southern papersnow before us.

The North Carolina Standard, of July 18, 1838, contains thefollowing:--

"TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD. Ranaway from the subscriber, a negro woman andtwo children; the woman is tall and black, and _a few days before shewent off_, I BURNT HER WITH A HOT IRON ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HER FACE; ITRIED TO MAKE THE LETTER M, _and she kept a cloth over her head andface, and a fly bonnet on her head so as to cover the burn;_ herchildren are both boys, the oldest is in his seventh year; he is a_mulatto_ and has blue eyes; the youngest is black and is in his fifthyear. The woman's name is Betty, commonly called Bet."

MICAJAH RICKS.

_Nash County, July 7_, 1838.

Hear the wretch tell his story, with as much indifference as if hewere describing the cutting of his initials in the bark of a tree.

_"I burnt her with a hot iron on the left side of her face,"--"I triedto make the letter M_," and this he says in a newspaper, and puts hisname to it, and the editor of the paper who is, also, its proprietor,publishes it for him and pockets his fee. Perhaps the reader will say,'Oh, it must have been published in an insignificant sheet printed insome obscure corner of the state; perhaps by a gang of 'squatters,' inthe Dismal Swamp, universally regarded as a pest, and edited by somescape-gallows, who is detested by the whole community.' To this I replythat the "North Carolina Standard," the paper which contains it, is alarge six columned weekly paper, handsomely printed and ably edited;it is the leading Democratic paper in that state, and is published atRaleigh, the Capital of the state, Thomas Loring, Esq. Editor andProprietor. The motto in capitals under the head of the paper is, "THECONSTITUTION AND THE UNION OF THE STATES--THEY MUST BE PRESERVED." Thesame Editor and Proprietor, who exhibits such brutality of feelingtowards the slaves, by giving the preceding advertisement aconspicuous place in his columns, and taking his pay for it, hasapparently a keen sense of the proprieties of life, where _whites_ areconcerned, and a high regard for the rights, character and feelings ofthose whose skin is colored like his own. As proof of this, we copyfrom the number of the paper containing the foregoing advertisement,the following _Editorial_ on the pending political canvass.

"We cannot refrain from expressing the hope that the Gubernatorialcanvass will be conducted with a _due regard to the character_, and_feelings_ of the distinguished individuals who are candidates forthat office; and that the press of North Carolina will _set anexample_ in this respect, worthy of _imitation and of praise_."

What is this but chivalrous and honorable feeling? The good name ofNorth Carolina is dear to him--on the comfort, 'character andfeelings,' of her _white_ citizens he sets a high value; he feels too,most deeply for the _character of the Press_ of North Carolina, seesthat it is a city set on a hill, and implores his brethren of theeditorial corps to 'set an example' of courtesy and magnanimity worthyof imitation and praise. Now, reader, put all these things togetherand con them over, and then read again the preceding advertisementcontained in the same number of the paper, and you have the true"North Carolina STANDARD," by which to measure the protection extendedto slaves by the 'public opinion' of that state.

"TEN DOLLARS REWARD will be given for my negro woman Liby. The saidLiby is about 30 years old and VERY MUCH SCARRED ABOUT THE NECK ANDEARS, occasioned by whipping, had on a handkerchief tied round herears, as she COMMONLY wears it to HIDE THE SCARS."

To show that slaveholding brutality now is the same that it was theeighth of a century ago, we publish the following advertisement fromthe "Charleston (S.C.) Courier," of 1825.

"TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD.--Ranaway from the subscriber, on the 14thinstant, a negro girl named Molly.

"The said girl was sold by Messrs. Wm. Payne & Sons, as the propertyof an estate of a Mr. Gearrall, and purchased by a Mr. Moses, and soldby him to a Thomas Prisley, of Edgefield District, of whom I boughther on the 17th of April, 1819. She is 16 or 17 years of age, slimmade, LATELY BRANDED ON THE LEFT CHEEK, THUS, R, AND A PIECE TAKEN OFFOF HER EAR ON THE SAME SIDE; THE SAME LETTER ON THE INSIDE OF BOTH HERLEGS.

"ABNER ROSS, Fairfield District."

But instead of filling pages with similar advertisements, illustratingthe horrible brutality of slaveholders towards their slaves, thereader is referred to the preceding pages of this work, to the scoresof advertisements written by slaveholders, printed by slaveholders,published by slaveholders, in newspapers edited by slaveholders andpatronized by slaveholders; advertisement describing not only men andboys, but women aged and middle-aged, matrons and girls of tenderyears, their necks chafed with iron collars with prongs, their limbsgalled with iron rings and chains, and bars of iron, iron hobbles andshackles, all parts of their persons scarred with the lash, andbranded with hot irons, and torn with rifle bullets, pistol balls andbuck shot, and gashed with knives, their eyes out, their ears cut off,their teeth drawn out, and their bones broken. He is referred also tothe cool and shocking indifference with which these slaveholders,'gentlemen' and 'ladies,' Reverends, and Honorables, and Excellencies,write and print, and publish and pay, and take money for, and read andcirculate, and sanction, such infernal barbarity. Let the readerponder all this, and then lay it to heart, that this is that 'publicopinion' of the slaveholders which protects their slaves from allinjury, and is an effectual guarantee of personal security.

However far gone a community may be in brutality, something ofprotection may yet be hoped for from its 'public opinion,' if _respectfor woman_ survive the general wreck; that gone, protection perishes;public opinion becomes universal rapine; outrages, once occasional,become habitual; the torture, which was before inflicted only bypassion, becomes the constant product of a _system_, and, instead ofbeing the index of sudden and fierce impulses, is coolly plied as thepermanent means to an end. When _women_ are branded with hot irons ontheir faces; when iron collars, with prongs, are riveted about theirnecks; when iron rings are fastened upon their limbs, and they areforced to drag after them chains and fetters; when their flesh is tornwith whips, and mangled with bullets and shot, and lacerated withknives; and when those who do such things, are regarded in thecommunity, and associated with as 'gentlemen' and 'ladies;' to saythat the 'public opinion' of _such_ a community is a protection to itsvictims, is to blaspheme God, whose creatures they are, cast in hisown sacred image, and dear to him as the apple of his eye.

But we are not yet quite ready to dismiss this protector, 'PublicOpinion.' To illustrate the hardened brutality with which slaveholdersregard their slaves, the shameless and apparently unconsciousindecency with which they speak of their female slaves, examine theirpersons, and describe them, under their own signatures, in newspapers,hand-bills, &c. just as they would describe the marks of cattle andswine, on all parts of their bodies; we will make a few extracts fromsouthern papers. Reader, as we proceed to these extracts, remember ourmotto--'True humanity consists _not_ in a squeamish ear.'

Mr. P. ABDIE, of New Orleans, advertises in the New Orleans Bee, ofJanuary 29, 1838, for one of his female slaves, as follows;

"Ranaway, the negro wench named Betsey, aged about 22 years,handsome-faced, and good countenance; having the marks of the whipbehind her neck, and SEVERAL OTHERS ON HER RUMP. The above reward,($10,) will be given to whoever will bring that wench to P. ABDIE."

The New Orleans Bee, in which the advertisement of this Vandalappears, is the 'Official Gazette of the State--of the GeneralCouncil--and of the first and third Municipalities of New Orleans.' Itis the largest, and the most influential paper in the south-westernstates, and perhaps the most ably edited--and has undoubtedly a largercirculation than any other. It is a daily paper, of $12 a year, andits circulation being mainly among the larger merchants, planters, andprofessional men, it is a fair index of the 'public opinion' ofLouisiana, so far as represented by those classes of persons.Advertisements equally gross, indecent, and abominable, or nearly so,can be found in almost every number of that paper.

Mr. WILLIAM ROBINSON, Georgetown, District of Columbia, advertised forhis slave in the National Intelligencer, of Washington City, Oct. 2,1837, as follows:

"Eloped from my residence a young negress, 22 years old, of achestnut, or brown color. She has a very singular mark--this mark, tothe best of my RECOLLECTION, covers a part of her _breasts_, _body_,and _limbs_; and when her neck and arms are uncovered, is veryperceptible; she has been frequently seen east and south of theCapitol Square, and is harbored by ill-disposed persons, of everycomplexion, for her services."

Mr. JOHN C. BEASLEY, near Huntsville, Alabama, thus advertises a younggirl of eighteen, in the Huntsville Democrat, of August 1st, 1837."Ranaway Maria, about 18 years old, _very far advanced with child._"He then offers a reward to any one who will commit this young girl, inthis condition, _to jail_.

Mr. JAMES T. DE JARNETT, Vernon, Autauga co. Alabama, thus advertisesa woman in the Pensacola Gazette, July 14, 1838. "Celia is a _bright_copper-colored negress, _fine figure_ and _very smart_. On EXAMININGHER BACK, you will find marks caused by the whip." He closes theadvertisement, by offering a reward of _five hundred dollars_ to anyperson who will lodge her in _jail_, so that he can get her.

A person who lives at 124 Chartres street, New Orleans, advertises inthe 'Bee,' of May 31, for "the negress Patience, about 28 years old,has _large hips_, and is _bow-legged_." A Mr. T. CUGGY, in the samepaper, thus describes "the negress Caroline." "_She has awkward feet,clumsy ankles, turns out her toes greatly in walking, and has a soreon her left shin_."

In another, of June 22, Mr. P. BAHI advertises "Maria, with a clearwhite complexion, and _double nipple on her right breast_."

Mr. CHARLES CRAIGE, of Federal Point, New Hanover co. North Carolina,in the Wilmington Advertiser, August 11, 1837, offers a reward for hisslave Jane, and says "_she is far advanced in pregnancy_."

The New Orleans Bulletin, August 18, 1838, advertises "the negressMary, aged nineteen, has a scar on her face, walks parrot-toed, and is_pregnant_."

Mr. J.G. MUIR, of Grand Gulf, Mississippi, thus advertises a woman inthe Vicksburg Register, December 5, 1838. "Ranaway a negro girl--has anumber of _black lumps on her breasts, and is in a state ofpregnancy_."

"$50 REWARD.--Ranaway a negro girl named Caroline about 18 years ofage, is _far advanced in child-bearing_. The above reward will be paidfor her delivery at either of the _jails_ of the city."

Mr. JOHN DUGGAN, thus advertises a woman in the New Orleans Bee, ofSept. 7.

"Ranaway from the subscriber a mulatto woman, named Esther, aboutthirty years of age, _large stomach_, wants her upper front teeth, andwalks pigeon-toed--supposed to be about the lower fauxbourg."

Mr. FRANCIS FOSTER, of Troop co. Georgia, advertises in the Columbus(Ga.) Enquirer of June 22, 1837--"My negro woman Patsey, has a stoopin her walking, occasioned by a _severe burn on her abdomen_."

The above are a few specimens of the gross details, in describing thepersons of females, of all ages, and the marks upon all parts of theirbodies; proving incontestably, that slaveholders are in the habit notonly of stripping their female slaves of their clothing, andinflicting punishment upon their 'shrinking flesh,' but of subjectingtheir naked persons to the most minute and revolting inspection, andthen of publishing to the world the results of their examination, aswell as the scars left by their own inflictions upon them, theirlength, size, and exact position on the body; and all this withoutimpairing in the least, the standing in the community of the shamelesswretches who thus proclaim their own abominations. That such thingsshould not at all affect the standing of such persons in society, iscertainly no marvel: how could they affect it, when the samecommunities enact laws _requiring_ their own legal officers to inspectminutely the persons and bodily marks of all slaves taken up asrunaways, and to publish in the newspapers a particular description ofall such marks and peculiarities of their persons, their size,appearance position on the body, &c. Yea, verily, when the 'publicopinion' of the community, in the solemn form of law, commandsjailors, sheriffs, captains of police, &c. to divest of their clothingaged matrons and young girls, minutely examine their naked persons,and publish the results of their examination--who can marvel, that thesame 'public opinion' should tolerate the slaveholders themselves, indoing the same things to their own property, which they have appointedlegal officers to do as their proxies.[37]

[Footnote 37: 'As a sample of these laws, we give the following extractfrom one of the laws of Maryland, where slaveholding 'public opinion'exists in its mildest form.'

"It shall be the duty of the sheriffs of the several counties of thisstate, upon any runaway servant or slave being committed to hiscustody, to cause the same to be advertised, &c. and to makeparticular and minute descriptions of _the person and bodily marks_,of such runaway."--_Laws of Maryland of 1802_, Chap. 96, Sec. 1 and 2.

That the sheriffs, jailors, &c. do not neglect this part of theirofficial 'duty,' is plain from the minute description which they givein the advertisements of marks upon all parts of the persons offemales, as well as males; and also from the occasional declaration,'no scars discoverable on any part,' or 'no marks discoverable _about_her;' which last is taken from an advertisement in the Milledgeville(Geo.) Journal, June 26, 1838, signed 'T.S. Denster, Jailor.']

The zeal with which slaveholding '_public opinion_' protects the livesof the slaves, may be illustrated by the following advertisements,taken from a multitude of similar ones in southern papers. To showthat slaveholding 'public opinion' is the same _now_, that it was halfa century ago, we will insert, in the first place, an advertisementpublished in a North Carolina newspaper, Oct. 29, 1785, by W. SKINNER,the Clerk of the County of Perquimons, North Carolina.

"Ten silver dollars reward will be paid for apprehending anddelivering to me my man Moses, who ran away this morning; or I willgive five times the sum to any person who will make due proof of his_being killed_, and never ask a question to know by whom it was done."

W. SKINNER.

_Perquimons County, N.C. Oct. 29, 1785._

The late JOHN PARRISH, of Philadelphia, an eminent minister of thereligious society of Friends, who traveled through the slave statesabout _thirty-five years_ since, on a religious mission, published onhis return a pamphlet of forty pages, entitled 'Remarks on the Slaveryof the Black People.' From this work we extract the followingillustrations of 'public opinion' in North and South Carolina andVirginia at that period.

"When I was traveling through North Carolina, a black man, who wasoutlawed, being shot by one of his pursuers, and left wounded in thewoods, they came to an ordinary where I had stopped to feed my horse,in order to procure a cart to bring the poor wretched object in.Another, I was credibly informed, was shot, his head cut off, andcarried in a bag by the perpetrators of the murder, who received thereward, which was said to be $200, continental currency, and that hishead was stuck on a coal house at an iron works in Virginia--and thisfor going to visit his wife at a distance. Crawford gives an accountof a man being gibbetted alive in South Carolina, and the buzzardscame and picked out his eyes. Another was burnt to death at a stake inCharleston, surrounded by a multitude of spectators, some of whom werepeople of the _first rank_; ... the poor object was heard to cry, aslong as he could breathe, 'not guilty--not guilty.'"

The following is an illustration of the 'public opinion' of SouthCarolina about fifty years ago. It is taken from Judge Stroud's Sketchof the Slave Laws, page 39.

"I find in the case of 'the State vs. M'Gee,' I Bay's Reports, 164, itis said incidentally by Messrs. Pinckney and Ford, counsel for thestate (of S.C.), 'that the _frequency_ of the offence (_wilful_ murderof a slave) was owing to the _nature of the punishment_', &c.... Thisremark was made in 1791, when the above trial took place. It was madein a public place--a courthouse--and by men of great personalrespectability. There can be, therefore, no question as to its_truth_, and as little of its _notoriety_."

In 1791 the Grand Jury for the district of Cheraw, S.C. made a_presentment_, from which the following is an extract.

"We, the Grand Jurors of and for the district of Cheraw, do presentthe INEFFICACY of the present punishment for killing negroes, as agreat defect in the legal system of this state: and we do earnestlyrecommend to the attention of the legislature, that clause of thenegro act, which confines the penalty for killing slaves to fine andimprisonment only: in full confidence, that they will provide someother _more effectual_ measures to prevent the FREQUENCY of crimes ofthis nature."--_Matthew Carey's American Museum, for Feb.1791_.--Appendix, p. 10.

The following is a specimen of the 'public opinion' of Georgia twelveyears since. We give it in the strong words of COLONEL STONE, Editorof the New York Commercial Advertiser. We take it from that paper ofJune 8, 1827.

"HUNTING MEN WITH DOGS.-A negro who had absconded from his master, andfor whom a reward of $100 was offered, has been apprehended andcommitted to prison in Savannah. The editor, who states the fact,adds, with as much coolness as though there were no barbarity in thematter, that he did not surrender till _he was considerably_ MAIMED BYTHE DOGS that had been set on him--desperately fighting them--one ofwhich he badly cut with a sword."

Twelve days after the publication of the preceding fact, the followinghorrible transaction took place in Perry county, Alabama. We extractit from the African Observer, a monthly periodical, published inPhiladelphia, by the society of Friends. See No. for August, 1827.

"Tuscaloosa, Ala. June 20, 1827.

"Some time during the last week a Mr. M'Neilly having lost someclothing, or other property of no great value, the slave of aneighboring planter was charged with the theft. M'Neilly, in companywith his brother, found the negro driving his master's wagon; theyseized him, and either did, or were about to chastise him, when thenegro stabbed M'Neilly, so that he died in an hour afterwards. Thenegro was taken before a justice of the peace, who _waved hisauthority_, perhaps through fear, as a crowd of persons had collectedto the number of seventy or eighty, near Mr. People's (the justice)house. _He acted as president of the mob,_ and put the vote, when itwas decided he should be immediately executed by _being burnt todeath_. The sable culprit was led to a tree, and tied to it, and alarge quantity of pine knots collected and placed around him, and thefatal torch applied to the pile, even against the remonstrances ofseveral gentlemen who were present; and the miserable being was in ashort time burned to ashes.

"This is the SECOND negro who has been THUS put to death, withoutjudge or jury, in this county."

The following advertisements, testimony, &c. will show that theslaveholders of _to-day_ are the _children_ of those who shot, andhunted with bloodhounds, and burned over slow fires, the slaves ofhalf a century ago; the worthy inheritors of their civilization,chivalry, and tender mercies.

The "Wilmington (North Carolina) Advertiser" of July 13, 1838,contains the following advertisement.

"$100 will be paid to any person who may apprehend and safely confinein any jail in this state, a certain negro man, named ALFRED. And thesame reward will be paid, if satisfactory evidence is given of _havingbeen_ KILLED. He has one or more scars on one of his hands, caused byhis having been shot.

"THE CITIZENS OF ONSLOW.

"Richlands, Onslow co. May 16th, 1838."

In the same column with the above and directly under it is thefollowing:--

"RANAWAY my negro man RICHARD. A reward of $25 will be paid for hisapprehension DEAD or ALIVE. Satisfactory proof will only be requiredof his being KILLED. He has with him, in all probability, his wifeELIZA, who ran away from Col. Thompson, now a resident of Alabama,about the time he commenced his journey to that state. DURANT H.RHODES."

In the "Mason (Georgia) Telegraph," May 28, is the following:

"About the 1st of March last the negro man RANSOM left me without theleast provocation whatever; I will give a reward of twenty dollars forsaid negro, if taken DEAD OR ALIVE,--and if killed in any attempt, anadvance of five dollars will be paid. BRYANT JOHNSON.

"_Crawford co. Georgia_"

See the "Newbern (N.C.) Spectator," Jan. 5, 1838, for thefollowing:--

"RANAWAY, from the subscriber, a negro man named SAMPSON. Fiftydollars reward will be given for the delivery of him to me, or hisconfinement in any jail so that I get him, and should he resist inbeing taken, so that violence is necessary to arrest him, I will nothold any person liable for damages should the slave be KILLED. ENOCHFOY.

"Jones County, N.C."

From the "Macon (Ga.) Messenger," June 14, 1838.

"TO THE OWNERS OF RUNAWAY NEGROES. A large mulatto Negro man, betweenthirty-five and forty years old, about six feet in height, having ahigh forehead, and hair slightly grey, was KILLED, near my plantation,on the 9th inst. _He would not surrender_ but assaulted Mr. Bowen, whokilled him in self-defence. If the owner desires further informationrelative to the death of his negro, he can obtain it by letter, or bycalling on the subscriber ten miles south of Perry, Houston county.EDM'D. JAS. McGEHEE."

From the 'Charleston (S.C.) Courier,' Feb. 20, 1836.

"$300 REWARD. Ranaway from the subscriber, in November last, his twonegro men, named Billy and Pompey.

"Billy is 25 years old, and is known as the patroon of my boat formany years; in all probability he may resist; in that event 50 dollarswill be paid for his HEAD."

From the 'Newbern (N.C.) Spectator,' Dec 2. 1836.

"$200 REWARD. Ranaway from the subscriber, about three years ago, acertain negro man named Ben, commonly known by the name of Ben Fox. Hehad but one eye. Also, one other negro, by the name of Rigdon, whoranaway on the 8th of this month.

"I will give the reward of one hundred dollars for each of the abovenegroes, to be delivered to me or confined in the jail of Lenoir orJones county, or FOR THE KILLING OF THEM, SO THAT I CAN SEE THEM. W.D.COBB."

In the same number of the Spectator two Justices of the Peaceadvertise the same runaways, and give notice that if they do notimmediately return to W.D. Cobb, their master, they will be consideredas outlaws, and any body may kill them. The following is an extractfrom the proclamation of the JUSTICES.

"And we do hereby, by virtue of an act of the assembly of this state,concerning servants and slaves, intimate and declare, if the saidslaves do not surrender themselves and return home to their masterimmediately after the publication of these presents, _that any personmay kill and destroy said slaves by such means as he or they thinkfit, without accusation or impeachment of any crime or offence for sodoing, or without incurring any penalty or forfeiture thereby._

"Given under our hands and seals, this 12th November, 1836.

"B. COLEMAN, J.P. [Seal.]

"JAS. JONES, J.P. [Seal.]"

On the 28th, of April 1836, in the city of St Louis, Missouri, a blackman, named McIntosh who had stabbed an officer, that had arrested him,was seized by the multitude, fastened to a tree _in the midst of thecity_, wood piled around him, and in open day and in the presence ofan immense throng of citizens, he was burned to death. The Alton(Ill.) Telegraph, in its account of the scene says;

"All was silent as death while the executioners were piling woodaround their victim. He said not a word, until feeling that the flameshad seized upon him. He then uttered an awful howl, attempting to singand pray, then hung his head, and suffered in silence, except in thefollowing instance:--After the flames had surrounded their prey, hiseyes burnt out of his head, and his mouth seemingly parched to acinder, some one in the crowd, more compassionate than the rest,proposed to put an end to his misery by shooting him, when it wasreplied, 'that would be of no use, since he was already out of pain.''No, no,' said the wretch, 'I am not, I am suffering as much as ever;shoot me, shoot me.' 'No, no,' said one of the fiends who was standingabout the sacrifice they were roasting, 'he shall not be shot. _Iwould sooner slacken the fire, if that would increase his misery_;'and the man who said this was, as we understand, an OFFICER OFJUSTICE!"

The St. Louis correspondent of a New York paper adds,

"The shrieks and groans of the victim were loud and piercing, and toobserve one limb after another drop into the fire was awful indeed. Hewas about fifteen minutes in dying. I visited the place this morning,and saw his body, or the remains of it, at the place of execution. Hewas burnt to a crump. His legs and arms were gone, and only a part ofhis head and body were left."

Lest this demonstration of 'public opinion' should be regarded as asudden impulse merely, not an index of the settled tone of feeling inthat community, it is important to add, that the Hon. Luke E. Lawless,Judge of the Circuit Court of Missouri, at a session of that Court inthe city of St. Louis, some months after the burning of this man,decided officially that since the burning of McIntosh was the act,either directly or by countenance of a _majority_ of the citizens, itis 'a case which transcends the jurisdiction,' of the Grand Jury! Thusthe state of Missouri has proclaimed to the world, that the wretcheswho perpetrated that unspeakably diabolical murder, and the thousandsthat stood by consenting to it, were _her representatives_, and theBench sanctifies it with the solemnity of a judicial decision.

The 'New Orleans Post,' of June 7, 1836, publishes the following;

"We understand, that a negro man was lately condemned, by the mob, tobe BURNED OVER A SLOW FIRE, which was put into execution at GrandGulf, Mississippi, for murdering a black woman, and her master."

Mr. HENRY BRADLEY, of Pennyan, N.Y., has furnished us with an extractof a letter written by a gentleman in Mississippi to his brother inthat village, detailing the particulars of the preceding transaction.The letter is dated Grand Gulf, Miss. August 15, 1836. The extract isas follows:

"I left Vicksburg and came to Grand Gulf. This is a fine placeimmediately on the banks of the Mississippi, of something like fifteenhundred inhabitants in the winter, and at this time, I suppose, thereare not over two hundred white inhabitants, but in the town and itsvicinity there are negroes by thousands. The day I arrived at thisplace there was a man by the name of G---- murdered by a negro manthat belonged to him. G---- was born and brought up in A----, state ofNew York. His father and mother now live south of A----. He has left aproperty here, it is supposed, of forty thousand dollars, and nofamily.

"They took the negro, mounted him on a horse, led the horse under atree, put a rope around his neck, raised him up by throwing the ropeover a limb; they then got into a quarrel among themselves; some sworethat he should be burnt alive; the rope was cut and the negro droppedto the ground. He immediately jumped to his feet; they then made himwalk a short distance to a tree; he was then tied fast and a firekindled, when another quarrel took place; the fire was pulled awayfrom him when about half dead, and a committee of twelve appointed tosay in what manner he should be disposed of. They brought in that heshould then be cut down, his head cut off, his body burned, and hishead stuck on a pole at the corner of the road in the edge of thetown. That was done and all parties satisfied!

"G---- _owned the negro's wife, and was in the habit of sleeping withher!_ The negro said he had killed him, and he believed he should berewarded in heaven for it.

"This is but one instance among many of a similar nature.

S.S."

We have received a more detailed account of this transaction from Mr.William Armstrong, of Putnam, Ohio, through Maj. Horace Nye, of thatplace. Mr. A. who has been for some years employed as captain andsupercargo of boats descending the river, was at Grand Gulf at thetime of the tragedy, and _witnessed_ it. It was on the Sabbath.From Mr. Armstrong's statement, it appears that the slave wasa man of uncommon intelligence; had the over-sight of a largebusiness--superintended the purchase of supplies for his master,&c.--that exasperated by the intercourse of his master with his wife,he was upbraiding her one evening, when his master overhearing him,went out to quell him, was attacked by the infuriated man and killedon the spot. The name of the master was Green; he was a native ofAuburn, New York, and had been at the south but a few years.

Mr. EZEKIEL BIRDSEYE, of Cornwall, Conn., a gentleman well known andhighly respected in Litchfield county, who resided a number of yearsin South Carolina, gives the following testimony:--

"A man by the name of Waters was killed by his slaves, in NewberryDistrict. Three of them were tried before the court, and ordered to beburnt. I was but a few miles distant at the time, and conversed withthose who saw the execution. The slaves were tied to a stake, andpitch pine wood piled around them, to which the fire was communicated.Thousands were collected to witness this barbarous transaction. _Otherexecutions of this kind took place in various parts of the state,during my residence in it, from 1818 to 1824_. About three or fouryears ago, a young negro was burnt in Abbeville District, for anattempt at rape."

In the fall of 1837, there was a rumor of a projected insurrection onthe Red River, in Louisiana. The citizens forthwith seized and hangedNINE SLAVES, AND THREE FREE COLORED MEN, WITHOUT TRIAL. A few monthsprevious to that transaction, a slave was seized in a similar mannerand publicly burned to death, in Arkansas. In July, 1835, the citizensof Madison county, Mississippi, were alarmed by rumors of aninsurrection arrested five slaves and publicly executed them withouttrial.

The Missouri Republican, April 30, 1838, gives the particulars of thedeliberate murder of a negro man named Tom, a cook on board thesteamboat Pawnee, on her passage up from New Orleans to St. Louis.Some of the facts stated by the Republican are the following:

"On Friday night, about 10 o'clock, a deaf and dumb German girl wasfound in the storeroom with Tom. The door was locked, and at first Tomdenied she was there. The girl's father came. Tom unlocked the door,and the girl was found secreted in the room behind a barrel. The nextmorning some four or five of the deck passengers spoke to the captainabout it. This was about breakfast time. Immediately after he left thedeck, a number of the deck passengers rushed upon the negro, bound hisarms behind his back and carried him forward to the bow of the boat. Avoice cried out 'throw him overboard,' and was responded to from everyquarter of the deck--and in an instant he was plunged into the river.The whole scene of tying him and throwing him overboard scarcelyoccupied _ten minutes_, and was so precipitate that the officers wereunable to interfere in time to save him.

"There were between two hundred and fifty and three hundred passengerson board."

The whole process of seizing Tom, dragging him upon deck, binding hisarms behind his back, forcing him to the bow of the boat, and throwinghim overboard, occupied, the editor informs us, about TEN MINUTES, andof the two hundred and fifty or three hundred deck passengers, withperhaps as many cabin passengers, it does not appear that _a singleindividual raised a finger to prevent this deliberate murder_; and thecry "throw him overboard," was it seems, "responded to from everyquarter of the deck!"

Rev. JAMES A. THOME, of Augusta, Ky., son of Arthur Thome, Esq., tillrecently a slaveholder, published five years since the followingdescription of a scene witnessed by him in New Orleans:

"In December of 1833, I landed at New Orleans, in the steamer W----.It was after night, dark and rainy. The passengers were called out ofthe cabin, from the enjoyment of a fire, which the cold, dampatmosphere rendered very comfortable, by a sudden shout of, 'catchhim--catch him--catch the negro.' The cry was answered by a hundredvoices--'Catch him--_kill_ him,' and a rush from every directiontoward our boat, indicated that the object of pursuit was near. Thenext moment we heard a man plunge into the river, a few paces aboveus. A crowd gathered upon the shore, with lamps and stones, and clubs,still crying, 'catch him--kill him--catch him--shoot him.'

"I soon discovered the poor man. He had taken refuge under the prow ofanother boat, and was standing in the water up to his waist. Theangry vociferation of his pursuers, did not intimidate him. He defiedthem all. 'Don't you _dare_ to come near me, or I will sink you in theriver.' He was armed with despair. For a moment the mob was palsied bythe energy of his threatenings. They were afraid to go to him with askiff, but a number of them went on to the boat and tried to seizehim. They threw a noose rope down repeatedly, _that they might pullhim up by the neck_! but he planted his hand firmly against the boatand dashed the rope away with his arms. One of them took a long bar ofwood, and leaning over the prow, endeavored to strike him on the head,The blow must have shattered the skull, but it did not reach lowenough. The monster raised up the heavy club again and said, 'Come outnow, you old rascal, or die.' 'Strike,' said the negro;'strike--shiver my brains _now_; I want to die;' and down went theclub again, without striking. This was repeated several times. Themob, seeing their efforts fruitless, became more enraged andthreatened to stone him, if he did not surrender himself into theirhands. He again defied them, and declared that he would drown himselfin the river, before they should have him. They then resorted topersuasion, and promised they would not hurt him. 'I'll die first;'was his only reply. Even the furious mob was awed, and for a whilestood dumb.

"After standing in the cold water for an hour, the miserable beingbegan to fail. We observed him gradually sinking--his voice grew weakand tremulous--yet he continued to _curse_! In the midst of his oathshe uttered broken sentences--'I did'nt steal the meat--I did'ntsteal--my master lives--master--master lives up the river--(his voicebegan to gurgle in his throat, and he was so chilled that his teethchattered audibly)--I did'nt--steal--I did'nt steal--my--mymaster--my--I want to see my master--I didn't--no--my mas--youwant--you want to kill me--I didn't steal the'--His last words couldjust be heard as be sunk under the water.

"During this indescribable scene, _not one of the hundred that stoodaround made any effort to save the man until he was apparentlydrowned_. He was then dragged out and stretched on the bow of theboat, and soon sufficient means were used for his recovery. The brutalcaptain ordered him to be taken off his boat--declaring, with an oath,that he would throw him into the river again, if he was notimmediately removed. I withdrew, sick and horrified with thisappalling exhibition of wickedness.

"Upon inquiry, I learned that the colored man lived some fifty milesup the Mississippi; that he had been charged with stealing somearticle from the wharf; was fired upon with a pistol, and pursued bythe mob.

"In reflecting upon this unmingled cruelty--this insensibility tosuffering and disregard of life--I exclaimed,

'Is there no flesh in man's obdurate heart?'

"One poor man, chased like a wolf by a hundred blood hounds, yelling,howling, and gnashing their teeth upon him--plunges into the coldriver to seek protection! A crowd of spectators witness the scene,with all the composure with which a Roman populace would look upon agladiatorial show. Not a voice heard in the sufferer's behalf. Atlength the powers of nature give way; the blood flows back to theheart--the teeth chatter--the voice trembles and dies, while thevictim drops down into his grave.

"What an atrocious system is that which leaves two millions of souls,friendless and powerless--hunted and chased--afflicted and torturedand driven to death, without the means of redress.--Yet such is thesystem of slavery."

The 'public opinion' of slaveholders is illustrated by scores ofannouncements in southern papers, like the following, from theRaleigh, (N.C.) Register, August 20, 1838. Joseph Gale and Son,editors and proprietors--the father and brother of the editor of theNational Intelligence, Washington city, D.C.

"On Saturday night, Mr. George Holmes, of this county, and some of hisfriends, were in pursuit of a runaway slave (the property of Mr.Holmes) and fell in with him in attempting to make his escape. Mr. H.discharged a gun at his legs, for the purpose of disabling him; butunfortunately, the slave stumbled, and the shot struck him near thesmall of the back, of which wound he died in a short time. The slavecontinued to run some distance after he was shot, until overtaken byone of the party. We are satisfied, from all that we can learn, thatMr. H. had no intention of inflicting a mortal wound."

Oh! the _gentleman_, it seems, only shot at his legs, merely to'disable'--and it must be expected that every _gentleman_ will amusehimself in shooting at his own property whenever the notion takes him,and if he should happen to hit a little higher and go through thesmall of the back instead of the legs, why every body says it is'unfortunate,' and the whole of the editorial corps, instead ofbranding him as a barbarous wretch for shooting at his slave, whateverpart be aimed at, join with the oldest editor in North Carolina, incomplacently exonerating Mr. Holmes by saying, "We are satisfied thatMr. H. had no intention of inflicting a mortal wound." And so 'publicopinion' wraps it up!

The Franklin (La.) Republican, August 19, 1837, has the following:

"NEGROES TAKEN.--Four gentlemen of this vicinity, went out yesterdayfor the purpose of finding the camp of some noted runaways, supposedto be near this place; the camp was discovered about 11 o'clock, thenegroes four in number, three men and one woman, finding they werediscovered, tried to make their escape through the cane; two of themwere fired on, one of which made his escape; the other one fell afterrunning a short distance, his wounds are not supposed to be dangerous;the other man was taken without any hurt; the woman also made herescape."

Thus terminated the mornings amusement of the '_four gentlemen_,'whose exploits are so complacently chronicled by the editor of theFranklin Republican. The three men and one woman were all fired upon,it seems, though only one of them was shot down. The half famishedrunaways made not the least resistance, they merely rushed in panicamong the canes, at the sight of their pursuers, and the bulletswhistled after them and brought to the ground one poor fellow, who wascarried back by his captors as a trophy of the 'public opinion' amongslaveholders.

In the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph, Nov. 27, 1838, we find the followingaccount of a runaway's den, and of the good luck of a 'Mr. Adams,' inrunning down one of them 'with his excellent dogs:'

"A runaway's den was discovered on Sunday near the Washington Spring,in a little patch of woods, where it had been for several months, soartfully concealed under ground, that it was detected only byaccident, though in sight of two or three houses, and near the roadand fields where there has been constant daily passing. The entrancewas concealed by a pile of pine straw, representing a hog bed--whichbeing removed, discovered a trap door and steps that led to a roomabout six feet square, comfortably ceiled with plank, containing asmall fire-place the flue of which was ingeniously conducted aboveground and concealed by the straw. The inmates took the alarm and madetheir escape; but Mr. Adams and his excellent dogs being put upon thetrail, soon run down and secured one of them, which proved to be anegro fellow who had been out about a year. He stated that the otheroccupant was a woman, who had been a runaway a still longer time. Inthe den was found a quantity of meal, bacon, corn, potatoes, &c., andvarious cooking utensils and wearing apparel."

Yes, Mr. Adams' 'EXCELLENT DOGS' did the work! They were well trained,swift, fresh, keen-scented, 'excellent' men-hunters, and though thepoor fugitive in his frenzied rush for liberty, strained every muscle,yet they gained upon him, and after dashing through fens, brier-beds,and the tangled undergrowth till faint and torn, he sinks, and theblood-hounds are upon him. What blood-vessels the poor struggler burstin his desperate push for life--how much he was bruised and laceratedin his plunge through the forest, or how much the dogs tore him, theMacon editor has not chronicled--they are matters of no moment--buthis heart is touched with the merits of Mr. Adams' 'EXCELLENT DOGS,'that 'soon _run down_ and _secured_' a guiltless and trembling humancreature!

The Georgia Constitutionalist, of Jan. 1837, contains the followingletter from the coroner of Barnwell District, South Carolina, datedAiken, S.C. Dec. 20, 1836.

"_To the Editor of the Constitutionalist:_

"I have just returned from an inquest I held over the body of a negroman, a runaway, that was shot near the South Edisto, in this District,(Barnwell,) on Saturday last. He came to his death by his ownrecklessness. He refused to be taken alive--and said that otherattempts to take him had been made, and he was determined that hewould not be taken. He was at first, (when those in pursuit of himfound it absolutely necessary,) shot at with small shot, with theintention of merely crippling him. He was shot at several times, andat last he was so disabled as to be compelled to surrender. He kept inthe run of a creek in a very dense swamp all the time that theneighbors were in pursuit of him. As soon as the negro was taken, thebest medical aid was procured, but he died on the same evening. One ofthe witnesses at the Inquisition, stated that the negro boy said hewas from Mississippi, and belonged to so many persons, that he did notknow who his master was, but again he said his master's name wasBrown. He said his name was Sam, and when asked by another witness,who his master was, he muttered something like Augusta or Augustine.The boy was apparently above thirty-five or forty years of age, aboutsix feet high, slightly yellow in the face, very long beard orwhiskers, and very stout built, and a stern countenance; and appearedto have been a runaway for a long time.

WILLIAM H. PRITCHARD,_Coroner (Ex-officio,) Barnwell Dist. S.C._"

The Norfolk (Va.) Herald, of Feb. 1837, has the following:

"Three negroes in a ship's yawl, came on shore yesterday evening, nearNew Point Comfort, and were soon after apprehended and lodged in jail.Their story is, that they belonged to a brig from New York bound toHavana, which was cast away to the southward of Cape Henry, some daylast week; that the brig was called the Maria, Captain Whittemore. Ihave no doubt they are deserters from some vessel in the bay, as theirstatements are very confused and inconsistent. One of these fellows isa mulatto, and calls himself Isaac Turner; the other two are quiteblack, the one passing by the name of James Jones and the other JohnMurray. They have all their clothing with them, and are dressed insea-faring apparel. They attempted to make their escape, and _it wasnot till a musket was fired at them, and one of them slightlywounded_, that they surrendered. They will be kept in jail tillsomething further is discovered respecting them."

The 'St. Francisville (La.) Chronicle,' of Feb. 1, 1839. Gives thefollowing account of a 'negro hunt,' in that Parish.

"Two or three days since a gentleman of this parish, in _huntingrunaway negroes_, came upon a camp of them in the swamp on Cat Island.He succeeded in arresting two of them, but the third made fight; andupon _being shot in the shoulder_, fled to a sluice, where the _dogssucceeded_ in drowning him before assistance could arrive."

"'The dogs _succeeded_ in drowning him'! Poor fellow! He tried hard forhis life, plunged into the sluice, and, with a bullet in his shoulder,and the blood hounds unfleshing his bones, he bore up for a momentwith feeble stroke as best he might, but 'public opinion,''_succeeded_ in drowning him,' and the same 'public opinion,' callsthe man who fired and crippled him, and cheered on the dogs, 'agentleman,' and the editor who celebrates the exploit is a 'gentleman'also!"

A large number of extracts similar to the above, might here beinserted from Southern newspapers in our possession, but the foregoingare more than sufficient for our purpose, and we bring to a close thetestimony on this point, with the following. Extract of a letter, fromthe Rev. Samuel J. May, of South Scituate, Mass. dated Dec. 20, 1838.

"You doubtless recollect the narrative given in the Oasis, of a slavein Georgia, who having ranaway from his master, (accounted a veryhospitable and even humane gentleman,) was hunted by his master andhis retainers with horses, dogs, and rifles, and having been driveninto a tree by the hounds, was shot down by his more cruel pursuers.All the facts there given, and some others equally shocking, connectedwith the same case, were first communicated to me in 1833, by Mr. W.Russell, a highly respectable teacher of youth in Boston. He isdoubtless ready to vouch for them. The same gentleman informed me thathe was keeping school on or near the plantation of the monster whoperpetrated the above outrage upon humanity, that he was even invitedby him to join in the hunt, and when he expressed abhorrence at thethought, the planter holding up the rifle which he had in his handsaid with an oath, 'damn that rascal, this is the third time he hasrunaway, and he shall never run again. I'd rather put a ball into hisside, than into the best buck in the land.'"

Mr. Russell, in the account given by him of this tragedy in the'Oasis,' page 267, thus describes the slaveholder who made the aboveexpression, and was the leader of the 'hunt,' and in whose family heresided at the time as an instructor he says of him--he was "anopulent planter, in whose family the evils of slaveholding werepalliated by every expedient that a humane and generous dispositioncould suggest. He was a man of noble and elevated character, anddistinguished for his generosity, and kindness of heart."

In a letter to Mr. May, dated Feb. 3, 1839, Mr. Russell, speaking ofthe hunting of runaways with dogs and guns, says: "Occurrences of anature similar to the one related in the 'Oasis,' were not unfrequentin the interior of Georgia and South Carolina twenty years ago._Several_ such fell under my notice within the space of fifteenmonths. In two such 'hunts,' I was solicited to join."

The following was written by a sister-in-law of Gerrit Smith, Esq.,Peterboro. She is married to the son of a North Carolinian.

"In North Carolina, some years ago, several slaves were arrested forcommitting serious crimes and depredations, in the neighborhood ofWilmington, among other things, burning houses, and, in one or moreinstances, murder.

"It happened that the wife of one of these slaves resided in one ofthe most respectable families in W. in the capacity of nurse. Mr. J._the first lawyer in the place_, came into the room, where the lady ofthe house, was sitting, with the nurse, who held a child in her arms,and, addressing the nurse, said, Hannah! would you know your husbandif you should see him?--Oh, yes, sir, she replied--When HE DREW FROMBENEATH HIS CLOAK THE HEAD OF THE SLAVE, at the sight of which thepoor woman immediately fainted. The heads of the others were placedupon poles, in some part of the town, afterwards known as 'Negro HeadPoint.'"

We have just received the above testimony, enclosed in a letter fromMr. Smith, in which he says, "that the fact stated by mysister-in-law, actually occurred, there can be no doubt."

The following extract from the Diary of the Rev. ELIAS CORNELIUS, weinsert here, having neglected to do it under a preceding head, towhich it more appropriately belongs.

"New Orleans, Sabbath, February 15, 1818. Early this morningaccompanied A.H. Esq. to the _hospital_, with the view of makingarrangements to preach to such of the sick as could understandEnglish. The first room we entered presented a scene of human misery,such as I had never before witnessed. A poor negro man was lying upona couch, apparently in great distress; a more miserable object canhardly be conceived. His face was much _disfigured_, an IRON COLLAR,TWO INCHES WIDE AND HALF AN INCH THICK, WAS CLASPED ABOUT HIS NECK,while one of his feet and part of the leg were in a state ofputrefaction. We inquired the cause of his being in this distressingcondition, and he answered us in a faltering voice, that he waswilling to tell us all the truth.

"He belonged to Mr. ---- a Frenchman, ran-away, was caught, andpunished with one hundred lashes! This happened about Christmas; andduring the cold weather at that time, he was confined in the_Cane-house, with a scanty portion of clothing, and without fire_. Inthis situation his foot had frozen, and mortified, and having beenremoved from place to place, he was yesterday brought here by order ofhis new master, who was an American. I had no time to protract myconversation with him then, but resolved to return in a few hours andpray with him.

"Having returned home, I again visited the hospital at half pasteleven o'clock, and concluded first of all [he was to preach at 12,]to pray with the poor lacerated negro. I entered the apartment inwhich he lay, and observed an old man sitting upon a couch; but,without saying anything went up to the bed-side of the negro, whoappeared to be asleep. I spoke to him, but he gave no answer. I spokeagain, and moved his head, still he said nothing. My apprehensionswere immediately excited, and I felt for his pulse, but it was gone.Said I to the old man, 'surely this negro is dead.' 'No,' he answered,'he has fallen asleep, for he had a very restless season last night.'I again examined and called the old gentleman to the bed, and alas, itwas found true, that he was dead. Not an eye had witnessed his laststruggle, and I was the first, as it should happen, to discover thefact. I called several men into the room, and without ceremony theywrapped him in a sheet, and carried him to the _dead-house_ as it iscalled."--Edwards' Life of Rev. Elias Cornelius, pp. 101, 2, 3.

THE PROTECTION EXTENDED BY 'PUBLIC OPINION,' TO THE HEALTH[38] OF THESLAVES.

This may be judged of from the fact that it is perfectly notoriousamong slaveholders, both North and South, that of the tens ofthousands of slaves sold annually in the northern slave states to betransported to the south, large numbers of them die under the severe,process of acclimation, _all_ suffer more or less, and multitudes_much_, in their health and strength, during their first years in thefar south and south west. That such is the case is sufficiently provedby the care taken by all who advertise for sale or hire in Louisiana,Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, &c. to inform the reader, that theirslaves are 'Creoles,' 'southern born,' 'country born,' &c. or if theyare from the north, that they are 'acclimated,' and the importanceattached to their _acclimation_, is shown in the fact, that it isgenerally distinguished from the rest of the advertisements either by_italics_ or CAPITALS. Almost every newspaper published in the statesfar south contains advertisements like the following.

"Probate sale--Will be offered for sale at Public Auction, to thehighest bidder, ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY _acclimated_ slaves."

G.W. KEETON.Judge of the Parish of Concordia"

From the "Arkansas Advocate," May 22, 1837.

"By virtue of a Deed of Trust, executed to me, I will sell at publicauction at Fisher's Prairie, Arkansas, sixty LIKELY NEGROES,consisting of Men, Women, Boys and Girls, the most of whom are WELLACCLIMATED.

GRANDISON D. ROYSTON, _Trustee_."

From the "New Orleans Bee," Feb. 9, 1838.

"VALUABLE ACCLIMATED NEGROES"

"Will be sold on Saturday, 10th inst. at 12 o'clock, at the cityexchange, St. Louis street."

Then follows a description of the slaves, closing with the sameassertion, which forms the caption of the advertisement "ALLACCLIMATED."

General Felix Houston, of Natchez, advertises in the "NatchezCourier," April 6, 1838, "Thirty five very fine _acclimated_ Negroes."

Without inserting more advertisements, suffice it to say, that whenslaves are advertised for sale or hire, in the lower southern country,if they are _natives_, or have lived in that region long enough tobecome acclimated, it is _invariably_ stated.

But we are not left to _conjecture_ the amount of sufferingexperienced by slaves from the north in undergoing the severe processof 'seasoning' to the climate, or '_acclimation_' A writer in the NewOrleans Argus, September, 1830, in an article on the culture of thesugar cane, says; 'The loss by _death_ in bringing slaves from anorthern climate, which our planters are under the necessity of doing,is not less than TWENTY-FIVE PER CENT.'

Nothwithstanding the immense amount of suffering endured in theprocess of acclimation, and the fearful waste of life, and the_notoriety_ of this fact, still the 'public opinion' of Virginia,Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, &c. annually DRIVES to the farsouth, thousands of their slaves to undergo these sufferings, and the'public opinion,' of the far south buys them, and forces the helplessvictims to endure them.

THE 'PROTECTION' VOUCHSAFED BY 'PUBLIC OPINION,' TO LIBERTY.

This is shown by hundreds of advertisements in southern papers, likethe following:

From the "Mobile Register," July 21. 1837. "WILL BE SOLD CHEAP FORCASH, in front of the Court House of Mobile County, on the 22d day ofJuly next, one mulatto man named HENRY HALL, WHO SAYS HE IS FREE; hisowner or owners, _if any_, having failed to demand him, he is to besold according to the statute in such cases made and provided, _to payJail fees._

WM. MAGEE, Sh'ff M.C."

From the "Grand Gulf (Miss.) Advertiser," Dec. 7, 1838.

"COMMITTED to the jail of Chickasaw Co. Edmund, Martha, John andLouisa; the man 50, the woman 35, John 3 years old, and Louisa 14months. They say they are FREE and were decoyed to this state."

The "Southern Argus," of July 25, 1837, contains the following.

"RANAWAY from my plantation, a negro boy named William. Said boy wastaken up by Thomas Walton, and says _he was free_, and that hisparents live near Shawneetown, Illinois, and that he was _taken_ fromthat place in July 1836; says his father's name is William, and hismother's Sally Brown, and that they moved from Fredericksburg,Virginia. I will give twenty dollars to any person who will deliversaid boy to me or Col. Byrn, Columbus. SAMUEL H. BYRN"

The first of the following advertisements was a standing one, in the"Vicksburg Register," from Dec. 1835 till Aug. 1836. The secondadvertises the same FREE man for sale.

"SHERIFF'S SALE" "COMMITTED, to the jail of Warren county, as aRunaway, on the 23d inst. a Negro man, who calls himself John J.Robinson; _says that he is free_, says that he kept a baker's shop inColumbus, Miss. and that he peddled through the Chickasaw nation toPontotoc, and came to Memphis, where he sold his horse, took water,and came to this place. The owner of said boy is requested to comeforward, prove property, pay charges, and take him away, or he will bedealt with as the law directs.

WM. EVERETT, Jailer.Dec. 24, 1835"

"NOTICE is hereby given, that the above described boy, who callshimself John J. Robinson, having been confined in the Jail of Warrencounty as a Runaway, for six months--and having been regularlyadvertised during this period, I shall proceed to sell said Negro boyat public auction, to the highest bidder for cash, at the door of theCourt House in Vicksburg, on Monday, 1st day of August, 1836, inpursuance of the statute in such cases made and provided.

E. W. MORRIS, Sheriff._Vicksburg, July 2, 1836._"

See "Newborn (N.C.) Spectator," of Jan. 5, 1838, for the followingadvertisement.

"RANAWAY, from the subscriber a negro man known as Frank Pilot. He isfive feet eight inches high, dark complexion, and about 50 years old,_HAS BEEN FREE SINCE_ 1829--is now my property, as heir at law of hislast owner, _Samuel Ralston_, dec. I will give the above reward if heis taken and confined in any jail so that I can get him.

SAMUEL RALSTON. Pactolus, Pitt County."

From the Tuscaloosa (Ala.) "Flag of the Union," June 7.

"COMMITTED to the jail of Tuscaloosa county, a negro man, who says hisname is Robert Winfield, and _says he is free_.

R.W. BARBER, _Jailer_."

That "public opinion," in the slave states affords no protection tothe liberty of colored persons, even after those persons becomelegally free, by the operation of their own laws, is declared byGovernor Comegys, of Delaware, in his recent address to theLegislature of that state, Jan. 1839. The Governor, commenting uponthe law of the state which provides that persons convicted of certaincrimes shall be sold as servants for a limited time, says,

"_The case is widely different with the negro(!)_ Although ordered tobe disposed of as a servant for a term of years, _perpetual slavery inthe south is his inevitable doom_; unless, peradventure, age ordisease may have rendered him worthless, or some resident of theState, from motives of _benevolence_, will pay for him three or fourtimes his intrinsic _value_. It matters not for how short a time he isordered to be sold, so that he can be carried from the State. Oncebeyond its limits, _all chance of restored freedom is gone_--for he isremoved far from the reach of any testimony to aid him in an effort tobe released from bondage, when his _legal_ term of servitude hasexpired. _Of the many colored convicts sold out of the State, it isbelieved none ever return_. Of course they are purchased _with theexpress view to their transportation for life_, and bring suchenormous prices as to prevent all _competition_ on the part of thoseof our citizens who _require_ their services, and _would keep them inthe State_."

From the "Memphis (Ten.) Enquirer," Dec. 28, 1838.

"$50 REWARD. Ranaway, from the subscriber, on Thursday last, a negroman named Isaac, 22 years old, about 5 feet 10 or 11 inches high, darkcomplexion, well made, full face, speaks quick, and very correctly fora negro. _He was originally from New-York_, and no doubt will attemptto pass himself as free. I will give the above reward for hisapprehension and delivery, or confinement, so that I obtain him, iftaken out of the state, or $30 if taken within the state.

JNO. SIMPSON. _Memphis, Dec. 28._"

Mark, with what shameless hardihood this JNO. SIMPSON, tells thepublic that _he knew_ Isaac Wright was a free man! 'HE WAS ORIGINALLYFROM NEW YORK,' he tells us. And yet he adds with brazen effrontery,'_he will attempt to pass himself as free._' This Isaac Wright, wasshipped by a man named Lewis, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and soldas a slave in New Orleans. After passing through several hands, andbeing flogged nearly to death, he made his escape, and five days ago,(March 5,) returned to his friends in Philadelphia.

From the "Baltimore Sun," Dec. 23, 1838.

"FREE NEGROES--Merry Ewall, a FREE NEGRO, from Virginia, was committedto jail, at Snow Hill, Md. last week, for remaining in the Statelonger than is allowed by the law of 1831. The fine in his caseamounts to $225. Capril Purnell, a negro from Delaware, is now in jailin the same place, for a violation of the same act. His fine amountsto FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS, and he WILL BE SOLD IN A SHORT TIME."

The following is the decision of the Supreme Court, of Louisiana, inthe case of Gomez _vs_. Bonneval, Martin's La. Reports, 656, andWheeler's "Law of Slavery," p. 380-1.

_Marginal remark of the Compiler.--"A slave does not become free onhis being illegally imported into the state."_

"_Per Cur. Derbigny_, J. The petitioner is a negro in actual state ofslavery; he claims his freedom, and is bound to prove it. In hisattempt, however, to show that he was free before he was introducedinto this country, he has failed, so that his claim rests entirely onthe laws prohibiting the introduction of slaves in the United States.That the plaintiff was imported since that prohibition does exist is afact sufficiently established by the evidence. What right he hasacquired under the laws forbidding such importation is the onlyquestion which we have to examine. Formerly, while the act dividingLouisiana into two territories was in force in this country, slavesintroduced here in contravention to it, were freed by operation oflaw; but that act was merged in the legislative provisions which weresubsequently enacted on the subject of importation of slaves into theUnited States generally. Under the now existing laws, the individualsthus imported acquire _no personal right_, they are mere passivebeings, who are disposed of _according to the will_ of the differentstate legislatures. In this country they are to _remain slaves_, andTO BE SOLD FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE STATE. The plaintiff, therefore, hasnothing to claim as a freeman; and as to a mere change of master,should such be his wish, _he cannot be listened to in a court ofjustice_."

Extract from a speech of Mr. Thomson of Penn. in Congress, March 1,1826, on the prisons in the District of Columbia.

"I visited the prisons twice that I might myself ascertain the truth.* * In one of these cells (but eight feet square,) were confined atthat time, seven persons, three women and four children. The childrenwere confined under a strange system of law in this District, by whicha colored person who _alleges_ HE IS FREE, and appeals to thetribunals of the country, to have the matter tried, is COMMITTED TOPRISON, till the decision takes place. They were almost naked--one ofthem was sick, lying on the damp brick floor, _without bed, pillow, orcovering_. In this abominable cell, seven human beings were confinedday by day, and night after night, without a bed, chair, or stool, orany other of the most common necessaries of life."--_Gales'Congressional Debates_, v.2, p. 1480.

The following facts serve to show, that the present generation ofslaveholders do but follow in the footsteps of their fathers, in theirzeal for LIBERTY.

Extract from a document submitted by the Committee of the yearlymeeting of Friends in Philadelphia, to the Committee of Congress, towhom was referred the memorial of the people called Quakers, in 1797.

"In the latter part of the year 1776, several of the people calledQuakers, residing in the counties of Perquimans and Pasquotank, in thestate of North Carolina, liberated their negroes, as it was then clearthere was no existing law to prevent their so doing; for the law of1741 could not at that time be carried into effect; and they weresuffered to remain free, until a law passed, in the spring of 1777,under which they were taken up and sold, contrary to the Bill ofRights, recognized in the constitution of that state, as a partthereof, and to which it was annexed.

"In the spring of 1777, when the General Assembly met for the firsttime, a law was enacted to prevent slaves from being emancipated,except for meritorious services, &c. to be judged of by the countycourts or the general assembly; and ordering, that if any should bemanumitted in any other way, they be taken up, and the county courtswithin whose jurisdictions they are apprehended should order them tobe sold. Under this law the county courts of Perquimans andPasquotank, in the year 1777, ordered A LARGE NUMBER OF PERSONS TO BESOLD, WHO WERE FREE AT THE TIME THE LAW WAS MADE. In the year 1778several of those cases were, by certiorari, brought before thesuperior court for the district of Edentorn, where the decisions ofthe county courts were reversed, the superior court declaring, thatsaid county courts, in such their proceedings, have exceeded theirjurisdiction, violated the rights of the subject, and acted in directopposition to the Bill of Rights of this state, considered justly aspart of the constitution thereof; by giving to a law, not intended toaffect this case, a retrospective operation, thereby to deprive freemen of this state of their liberty, contrary to the laws of the land.In consequence of this decree several of the negroes were again set atliberty; but the next General Assembly, early in 1779, passed a law,wherein they mention, that doubts have arisen, whether the purchasersof such slaves have a good and legal title thereto, and CONFIRM thesame; under which they were again taken up by the purchasers andreduced to slavery."

[The number of persons thus re-enslaved was 134.]

The following are the decrees of the Courts, ordering the sale ofthose freemen:--

"Perquimans County, July term, at Hartford, A.D. 1777.

"These may certify, that it was then and there ordered, that thesheriff of the county, to-morrow morning, at ten o'clock, expose tosale, to the highest bidder, for ready money, at the court-house door,the several negroes taken up as free, and in his custody, agreeable tolaw.

"It was then and there ordered, that Thomas Reading, Esq. take theFREE negroes taken up under an act to prevent domestic insurrectionsand other purposes, and expose the same to _the best bidder_, atpublic vendue, for ready money, and be accountable for the same,agreeable to the aforesaid act; and make return to this or the nextsucceeding court of his proceedings.

"A copy. ENOCH REESE, C.C."

THE PROTECTION OF "PUBLIC OPINION" TO DOMESTICS TIES.

The barbarous indifference with which slaveholders regard the forciblesundering of husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers andsisters, and the unfeeling brutality indicated by the language inwhich they describe the efforts made by the slaves, in their yearningsafter those from whom they have been torn away, reveals a 'publicopinion' towards them as dead to their agony as if they were cattle.It is well nigh impossible to open a southern paper without findingevidence of this. Though the truth of this assertion can hardly becalled in question, we subjoin a few illustrations, and could easilygive hundreds.

From the "Savannah Georgian," Jan. 17, 1839. "$100 reward will begiven for my two fellows, Abram and Frank. Abram has a _wife_ atColonel Stewart's, in Liberty county, and a _sister_ in Savannah, atCapt. Grovenstine's. Frank has a _wife_ at Mr. Le Cont's, Libertycounty; a _mother_ at Thunderbolt, and a _sister_ in Savannah.

WM. ROBARTS. Wallhourville, 5th Jan. 1839"

From the "Lexington (Ky.) Intelligencer." July 7, 1838.

"$160 Reward.--Ranaway from the subscribers living in this city, onSaturday 16th inst. a negro man, named Dick, about 37 years of age. Itis highly probable said boy will make for New Orleans as _he has awife_ living in that city, and he has been heard to say frequentlythat _he was determined to go to New Orleans_.

"DRAKE C. THOMPSON. "Lexington, June 17, 1838"

From the "Southern Argus," Oct. 31, 1837.

"Runaway--my negro man, Frederick, about 20 years of age. He is nodoubt near the plantation of G.W. Corprew, Esq of Noxubbee County,Mississippi, as _his wife belongs to that gentleman, and he followedher from my residence_. The above reward will be paid to any one whowill confine him in jail and inform me of it at Athens, Ala. "Athens,Alabama. KERKMAN LEWIS."

From the "Savannah Georgian," July 8, 1837.

"Ran away from the subscriber, his man Joe. He visits the cityoccasionally, where he has been harbored by his _mother_ and _sister_.I will give one hundred dollars for proof sufficient to _convict hisharborers_. R.P.T. MONGIN."

The "Macon (Georgia) Messenger," Nov. 23, 1837, has the following:--

"$25 Reward.--Ran away, a negro man, named Cain. He was brought fromFlorida, and _has a wife near Mariana_, and probably will attempt tomake his way there. H.L. COOK."

From the "Richmond (Va.) Whig," July 25, 1837.

"Absconded from the subscriber, a negro man, by the name of Wilson. Hewas born in the county of New Kent, and raised by a gentleman namedRatliffe, and by him sold to a gentleman named Taylor, on whose farmhe had a _wife_ and _several children_. Mr. Taylor sold him to a Mr.Slater, who, in consequence of removing to Alabama, Wilson left; andwhen retaken was sold, and afterwards purchased, by his present owner,from T. McCargo and Co. of Richmond."

From the "Savannah (Ga. ) Republican," Sept. 3, 1838.

"$20 Reward for my negro man Jim.--Jim is about 50 or 55 years of age.It is probable he will aim for Savannah, as he said _he had children_in that vicinity.

J.G. OWENS.Barnwell District, S.C."

From the "Staunton (Va.) Spectator," Jan. 3, 1839.

"Runaway, Jesse.--He has a _wife_, who belongs to Mr. John Ruff, ofLexington, Rockbridge county, and he may probably be lurking in thatneighborhood. MOSES McCUE."

From the "Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle," July 10, 1837.

"$120 Reward for my negro Charlotte. She is about 20 years old. Shewas purchased some months past from Mr. Thomas. J. Walton, of Augusta,by Thomas W. Oliver; and, as her _mother_ and acquaintances live inthat city, it is very likely she is _harbored_ by some of them. MARTHAOLIVER."

From the "Raleigh (N.C.) Register," July 18, 1837.

Ranaway from the subscriber, a negro man named Jim, the property ofMrs. Elizabeth Whitfield. He _has a wife_ at the late Hardy Jones',and may probably be lurking in that neighborhood. JOHN O'RORKE."

From the "Richmond (Va.) Compiler," Sept. 8, 1837.

"Ranaway from the subscriber, Ben. He ran off without any known cause,and _I suppose he is aiming to go to his wife, who was carried fromthe neighborhood last winter_. JOHN HUNT."

From the "Charleston (S.C.) Mercury," Aug. 1, 1837.

"Absconded from Mr. E.D. Bailey, on Wadmalaw, his negro man, namedSaby. Said fellow was purchased in January, from Francis Dickinson, ofSt. Paul's parish, and is probably now in that neighborhood, _where hehas a wife_. THOMAS N. GADSDEN."

From the "Portsmouth (Va.) Times," August 3, 1838.

"$50 dollars Reward will be given for the apprehension of my negro manIsaac. He _has a wife_ at James M. Riddick's, of Gates county, N.C.where he may probably be lurking. C. MILLER."

From the "Savannah (Georgia) Republican." May 24, 1838.

"$40 Reward.--Ran away from the subscriber in Savannah, his negro girlPatsey. She was purchased among the gang of negroes, known as theHargreave's estate. She is no doubt lurking about Liberty county, atwhich place _she has relatives_. EDWARD HOUSTOUN, of Florida"

From the "Charleston (S.C.) Courier," June 29, 1837.

"$20 Reward will be paid for the apprehension and delivery, at theworkhouse in Charleston, of a mulatto woman, named Ida. It is probableshe may have made her way into Georgia, where she has _connections_.MATTHEW MUGGRIDGE."

From the "Norfolk (Va.) Beacon," March 31, 1838.

"The subscriber will give $20 for the apprehension of his negro woman,Maria, who ran away about twelve months since. She is known to belurking in or about Chuckatuch, in the county of Nansemond, where _shehas a husband_, and _formerly belonged_. PETER ONEILL."

From the "Macon (Georgia) Messenger," Jan. 16, 1839.

"Ranaway from the subscriber, two negroes, Davis, a man about 45 yearsold; also Peggy, his wife, near the same age. Said negroes willprobably make their way to Columbia county, as _they have children_living in that county. I will liberally reward any person who maydeliver them to me. NEHEMIAH KING."

From the "Petersburg (Va.) Constellation," June 27, 1837.

"Ranaway, a negro man, named Peter. _He has a wife_ at the plantationof Mr. C. Haws, near Suffolk, where it is supposed he is stilllurking. JOHN L. DUNN."

From the "Richmond (Va.) Whig," Dec. 7, 1739.

"Ranaway from the subscriber, a negro man, named John Lewis. It issupposed that he is lurking about in New Kent county, where heprofesses to have a _wife_. HILL JONES, Agent for R.F. & P. Railroad Co."

From the "Red River (La.) Whig," June 2d, 1838.

"Ran away from the subscriber, a mulatto woman, named Maria. It isprobable she may be found in the neighborhood of Mr. Jesse Bynum'splantation, where _she has relations_, &c. THOMAS J. WELLS."

From the "Lexington (Ky.) Observer and Reporter," Sept. 28, 1838.

"$50 Reward.--Ran away from the subscriber, a negro girl, named Maria.She is of a copper color, between 13 and 14 years of age--_bareheaded_ and _bare footed_. She is small of her age--very sprightly andvery likely. She stated she was _going to see her mother_ atMaysville. SANFORD THOMSON."

From the "Jackson (Tenn.) Telegraph," Sept. 14, 1838.

"Committed to the jail of Madison county, a negro woman, who calls hername Fanny, and says she belongs to William Miller, of Mobile. Sheformerly belonged to John Givins, of this county, who now owns_several of her children_. DAVID SHROPSHIRE, Jailor."

"$100 Reward.--Run away from the subscriber, his negro fellow, John.He is well known about the city as one of my bread carriers: _has awife_ living at Mrs. Weston's, on Hempstead. John formerly belonged toMrs. Moor, near St. Paul's church, where his _mother_ still lives, and_has been harbored by her_ before.

JOHN T. MARSHALL.60, Tradd street."

From the "Newbern (N.C.) Sentinel," March 17, 1837.

"Ranaway, Moses, a black fellow, about 40 years of age--has a _wife_in Washington.

THOMAS BRAGG, Sen.Warrenton, N.C."

From the "Richmond (Va.) Whig," June 30, 1837.

"Ranaway, my man Peter.--He has a _sister_ and _mother_ in New Kent,and a _wife_ about fifteen or eighteen miles above Richmond, at orabout Taylorsville. THEO. A. LACY."

"A Reward of $5 will be paid for the apprehension of his negro woman,Diana. Diana is from 45 to 50 age. She formerly belonged to Mr. Nath.Law, of Liberty county, _where her husband still lives_. She willendeavor to go there perhaps. D. O'BYRNE."

From the "Richmond (Va.) Enquirer," Feb. 20, 1838.

"$10 Reward for a negro woman, named Sally, 40 years old. We have justreason to believe the said negro to be now lurking on the James RiverCanal, or in the Green Spring neighborhood, where, we are informed,_her husband resides_. The above reward will be given to any person_securing_ her.

POLLY C. SHIELDS.Mount Elba, Feb. 19, 1838."

"$50 Reward.--Ran away from the subscriber, his negro man Pauladore,commonly called Paul. I understand GEN. R.Y. HAYNE _has purchased hiswife and children_ from H.L. PINCKNEY, Esq. and has them now on hisplantation at Goosecreek, where, no doubt, the fellow is frequently_lurking_. T. DAVIS."

"$25 Reward.--Ran away from the subscriber, a negro woman, namedMatilda. It is thought she may be somewhere up James River, as she wasclaimed as _a wife_ by some boatman in Goochland. J. ALVIS."

"Stop the Runaway!!!--$25 Reward. Ranaway from the Eagle Tavern, anegro fellow, named Nat. He is no doubt attempting to _follow hiswife, who was lately sold to a speculator_ named Redmond. The abovereward will be paid by Mrs. Lucy M. Downman, of Sussex county, Va."

Multitudes of advertisements like the above appear annually in thesouthern papers. Reader, look at the preceding list--mark theunfeeling barbarity with which their masters and _mistresses_ describethe struggles and perils of sundered husbands and wives, parents andchildren, in their weary midnight travels through forests and rivers,with torn limbs and breaking hearts, seeking the embraces of eachother's love. In one instance, a mother torn from all her children andtaken to a remote part of another state, presses her way back throughthe wilderness, hundreds of miles, to clasp once more her children toher heart: but, when she has arrived within a few miles of them, inthe same county, is discovered, seized, dragged to jail, and herpurchaser told, through an advertisement, that she awaits his order.But we need not trace out the harrowing details already before thereader.

Rev. C.S. RENSHAW, of Quincy, Illinois, who resided some time inKentucky, says;--

"I was told the following fact by a young lady, daughter of aslaveholder in Boone county, Kentucky, who lived within half a mile ofMr. Hughes' farm. Hughes and Neil traded in slaves down the river:they had bought up a part of their stock in the upper counties ofKentucky, and brought them down to Louisville, where the remainder oftheir drove was in jail, waiting their arrival. Just before thesteamboat put off for the lower country, two negro women were offeredfor sale, each of them having a young child at the breast. The tradersbought them, took their babes from their arms, and offered them to thehighest bidder; and they were sold for one dollar apiece, whilst thestricken parents were driven on board the boat; and in an hour were ontheir way to the New Orleans market. You are aware that a young babe_decreases_ the value of a field hand in the lower country, whilst itincreases her value in the 'breeding states.'"

The following is an extract from an address, published by thePresbyterian Synod of Kentucky, to the churches under their care, in1835:--

"Brothers and sisters, parents and children, husbands and wives, are_torn asunder_, and permitted to see each other no more. These actsare DAILY occurring in the midst of us. The _shrieks_ and the _agony,often_ witnessed on such occasions, proclaim, with a trumpet tongue,the iniquity of our system. _There is not a neighborhood_ where theseheart-rending scenes are not displayed. _There is not a village orroad_ that does not behold the sad procession of manacled outcasts,whose mournful countenances tell that they are exiled by _force_ fromALL THAT THEIR HEARTS HOLD DEAR."--_Address_, p. 12.

Professor ANDREWS, late of the University of North Carolina, in hisrecent work on Slavery and the Slave Trade, page 147, in relating aconversation with a slave-trader, whom he met near Washington City,says, he inquired,

"'Do you _often_ buy the wife without the husband?' 'Yes, VERY OFTEN;and FREQUENTLY, too, they _sell me the mother while they keep herchildren. I have often known them take away the infant from itsmother's breast, and keep it, while they sold her_.'"

The following sale is advertised in the "Georgia Journal," Jan, 2,1838.

"Will be sold, the following PROPERTY, to wit: One ---- CHILD, by thename of James, _about eight months old_, levied on as the property ofGabriel Gunn."

The following is a standing advertisement in the Charleston (S.C.)papers:--

"120 Negroes for Sale--The subscriber has _just arrived fromPetersburg, Virginia_, with one hundred and twenty _likely young_negroes of both sexes and every description, which he offers for saleon the most reasonable terms.

"The lot now on hand consists of plough boys several likely andwell-qualified house servants of both sexes, several _women withchildren, small girls_ suitable for nurses, and several SMALL BOYSWITHOUT THEIR MOTHERS. Planters and traders are earnestly requested togive the subscriber a call previously to making purchases elsewhere,as he is enabled and will sell as cheap, or cheaper, than can be soldby any other person in the trade. BENJAMIN DAVIS. Hamburg, S.C. Sept.28, 1838."

Extract Of a letter to a member of Congress from a friend inMississippi, published in the "Washington Globe," June, 1837.

"The times are truly alarming here. Many plantations _are entirelystripped of negroes_ (protection!) and horses, by the marshal orsheriff.--Suits are multiplying--two thousand five hundred in theUnited States Circuit Court, and three thousand in Hinds CountyCourt."

Testimony of MR. SILAS STONE, of Hudson, New York. Mr. Stone is amember of the Episcopal Church, has several times been elected anAssessor of the city of Hudson, and for three years has filled theoffice of Treasurer of the County. In the fall of 1807, Mr. Stonewitnessed a sale of slaves, in Charleston, South Carolina, which hethus describes in a communication recently received from him.

"I saw droves of the poor fellows driven to the slave markets kept indifferent parts of the city, one of which I visited. The arrangementsof this place appeared something like our northern horse-markets,having sheds, or barns, in the rear of a public house, where alcoholwas a handy ingredient to stimulate the spirit of jockeying. As thetraders appeared, lots of negroes were brought from the stables intothe bar room, and by a flourish of the whip were made to assume anactive appearance. 'What will you give for these fellows?' 'How oldare they? 'Are they healthy?' 'Are they quick?' &c. at the same timethe owner would give them a cut with a cowhide, and tell them to danceand jump, cursing and swearing at them if they did not move quick. Infact all the transactions in buying and selling slaves, partakes ofjockey-ship, as much as buying and selling horses. There was as littleregard paid to the feelings of the former as we witness in the latter.

"From these scenes I turn to another, which took place in front of thenoble 'Exchange Buildings,' in the heart of the city. On the left sideof the steps, as you leave the main hall, immediately under thewindows of that proud building, was a stage built, on which a motherwith eight children were placed, and sold at auction. I watched theiremotions closely, and saw their feelings were in accordance to humannature. The sale began with the eldest child, who, being struck off tothe highest bidder, was taken from the stage or platform by thepurchaser, and led to his wagon and stowed away, to be carried intothe country; the second, and third were also sold, and so until sevenof the children were torn from their mother, while her discernmenttold her they were to be separated probably forever, causing in thatmother the most agonizing sobs and cries, in which the children seemedto share. The scene beggars description; suffice it to say, it wassufficient to cause tears from one at least 'whose skin was notcolored like their own,' and I was not ashamed to give vent to them."

THE "PROTECTION" AFFORDED BY "PUBLIC OPINION"TO CHILDHOOD AND OLD AGE.